OUR CORRESPONDENT, Gazipur

Load shedding in Gazipur has intensified amid a widening gap between electricity demand and supply, disrupting public life and commercial activity across the industrial district.

Residents said areas that previously experienced around seven hours of daily outages are now facing 8-10 hours of load shedding. The prolonged power cuts have triggered acute water shortages, interrupting routine household tasks such as bathing and cooking.

The strain is equally apparent across Gazipur’s industrial zones. Factory output has declined as frequent outages halt machinery. While some units have turned to diesel-powered generators, high fuel costs and limited availability have made regular operation difficult.

Speaking to The Daily Star yesterday afternoon, Md Yusuf Ali, general manager of Gazipur Palli Bidyut Samity-1, said that demand in his area stands at 554 megawatts against a supply of 313 megawatts. He said the situation may improve by May 2.

Md Khalid Hossain, managing director of Euro Washing Limited, said outages that once lasted five to six hours a day have now stretched to as long as 10 hours, making regular production extremely difficult. In many cases, factories are being forced to shut down. Production, which previously continued beyond 5:00pm, is no longer feasible under current conditions.

He added that global instability is exacerbating the crisis. “Ongoing conflicts have dampened foreign buyers’ interest in visiting Bangladesh, while efforts to secure orders abroad are yielding weaker-than-expected responses. The uncertainty has cast a shadow over the future of the readymade garments sector,” he said

Recent nor’wester storms have further aggravated the situation in Sreepur and Mawna areas under Mymensingh Palli Bidyut Samity-2, where fallen trees damaged power lines, causing outages in multiple locations.

Shantanu Roy, deputy general manager of the Mawna zonal office, said seven transformers were damaged during the storm, resulting in nearly 24 hours of power cuts. Despite limited manpower, repair work was carried out swiftly, and supply has now been restored in most areas.

Meanwhile, long queues for water have been reported in areas including Dokkhin Dhanua New Market and in front of DBL Garments in Gazipur union.

Residents in Mawna said reliance on tube wells remains limited, and power cuts suspend water pumps, leading to severe shortages.